Non-traversing vertical blind



July 6, 1965 R. J. CAYTON NON-TRAVERSING VERTICAL BLIND 2 Sheets-She at1 Filed March 12, 1962 llllllllmu",

milHiWHHiliH|l!!""""" llllummm HI ImmyHIIIIIHIIIHI @WHHHH INVNTO& WT g70 ill!! fl llllllllllblllllll NINE-"-- July 6, 1965 R. J. CAYTONNON-TRAVERSING VERTICAL BLIND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1962 I. III-Er 3 INVENTOR. e05 27140 74 70 fl77OQ/V6VS United States Patent3,192,734 NON-TRAVEESING VERTBCAL BLIND Robert J. Cayton, Los Angeles,Calif assignor to Louverdrape, Inc., a corporation of Qalii'ornia FiledMar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 178528 tllaims. (El. 74-91) This inventionrelates to an improved vertical blind and specifically to anon-traversing blind.

It is an object of this invention to provide a blind of rugged anddurable construction which may be readily mounted in or removed from anopening such as a window or the like.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a blind which isreadily and easily assembled with a resultant savings in labor and cost.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a novel means forsupporting the louvers.

Still a further object ofthis invention is to provide a blind havingnovel means for rotating the louvers.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the followingdescription.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a blind embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view taken along line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 44 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the channels withassociated parts.

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along line 66 of FF- URE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along line 77 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a view taken along line 8-8 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective of the rack driving means.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective of the underside of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective of the locking element.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective of the pinion.

FIGURE 13 is a perspective of the clip.

At the upper and lower edges of an opening, a channel 26 is positioned.Between these channels a series of louvers 22 are rotatably mounted,such louvers being preferably of cloth although any suitable materialmay be used. Since the two channels are identical, only the upper'willbe described in detail.

Said channel is essentially U-shaped in cross section with the open endsbent inwardly facing one another as at 24, and a pair of opposedinwardly facing ribs 26 are spaced above the closed face of the channel28. This closed face 23 has a series of holes 30 along the lengththereof. A gear element 32 has a cylindrical protuberance 34 formedthereon which projects through a hole 3%. Immediately above protuberance34 on gear element 32, is formed pinion gear teeth 36 for a purposehereinafter to be described.

A clip 33 projects through gear element 32 and is held by a spring 40with the extremity of said clip below face 28 supporting one end of alouver 22.

The upper edge of gear element 32 has opposed fiat sides 42 which whenproperly positioned permit element 32 to pass between ribs 26. The gearis then rotated slightly until same is confined by ribs 26 in the lowerpart of the channel. A rack 44 has an L-shape with one leg 46 extendingbetween a rib 26 and face 28 of the channel and the other leg 48 havinggear teeth 51? meshis a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG- ing with thegear teeth 36 on the gear elements 32 so that longitudinal movement ofthe rack rotates the gear elements and hence the louvers.

To move the rack a driving block 52 is provided having opposed grooves54 therein receiving ribs 26. Several gear teeth-56 are provided toengage teeth 50 on rack 44. Block 52 has an internally threaded bore58by which same is mounted upon a threaded shaft 6%. Near the outerextremity of shaft 6% a flange 62 is formed which abuts against end cap64 secured in channel 20 by pins 66 which project through the channelwalls and a lock tab 63 formed on the cap. Mounted on shaft 60 withincap 6-.- are a pair of pulley halves 70 and 72 secured by pin 74 to theshaft and receiving a beaded chain 76 therebetween. The beaded chainengages lugs 78 in the pulley halves so that pulling on the chainrotates the shaft 69 to drive rack 46 and hence rotate the louvers.

The upper channel 20 may be secured by any suitable means such asflanged sleeves Si and screws 32 into the upper edge of the window. Itis desirable to have the lower channel readily removable to facilitatecleaning. To facilitate this a locking member 84 i utilized rotatablysecured by a suitable screw projecting through hole 86 and into thelower sill. The member 84 has a cylindrical body 88 carrying a pair ofopposed locking tabs 9% and a tabbed handle $2. The channel 20 islowered over one or more locking members which are then rotated so thattabs 9t; overlie inwardly bent ends 24 securing the channel in place.

In operation the gear elements 32 are meshed with rack 44 withprotuberances 3:4 in holes 30 and clip 38 projecting therethroughsupporting louvers 22 which are aligned with one another and which arethen rotated from overlapping positions as viewed in FIGURE 1, to afully open position wherein same are substantially parallel by pullingon chain 76 which as seen in FIGURE 1 simultaneously drives the upperand lower ends of the louvers.

W'hile what hereinbefore has been described as the preferred embodimentof this invention, it is readily apparent that alterations andmodifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope ofthis invention and such alterations and modifications are intended to beincluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a blind of the type having a series of rotatable verticallyextending louvers the combination of an open channel having a series ofholes through the end wall thereof and opposed ribs spaced from said endwall, an L-shaped rack having one leg extending between and slida-blyguided by a rib and the end wall of said channel and a second toothbearing leg, a gear element having teeth thereon meshing with said rack,a protuberance on said gear element projecting through one of saidholes, said gear element having a base with flattened portionspermitting same to pass between said ribs in one position of rotationthereof and which base engages under said ribs in a different positionof rotation thereof to retain said gear element in said channel.

2. In a blind of the type having a series of rotatable verticallyextending louvers the combination of an open channel having a series ofholes through the end wall thereof and opposed ribs spaced from said endwall, a rack positioned between and slidably guided by one of said ribsand said end wall, a gear element having teeth thereon meshing with saidrack, a protuberance on said gear element projecting through one of saidholes, said gear element having a base with flattened portionspermitting same to pass between said ribs in one position of rotationthereof and which base engages under said ribs in a different positionof rotation thereof to retain said gear element in said channel, a driveblock having teeth meshing with said rack and having grooves thereinslidably embracing said ribs, said drive block having an internallythreaded bore therethrough, a threaded shaft in said bore and means forrotating said shaft.

3. In a blind of the type having a series of rotatable verticallyextending louvers the combination of an open channel having a series ofholes through the end wall thereof and opposed ribs spaced from said endwall, a rack positioned between and slidably, guided by one of said ribsand said end Wall, a gear element having teeth thereon meshing with saidrack, said gear element having a base with flattened opposed portionspermitting same to pass between said ribs in one position of rotationthereof and which base engages under said ribs in a ditferent positionof rotation thereof to retain said gear element in said channel.

4. In a blind of the type having a series of rotatable verticallyextending louvers the combination of an open channel having a series ofholes through the end wall thereof, a rack positioned in and slidablyguided by said channel, a pinion in said channel meshing with said rack,said pinion having means thereon supporting one of said louvers, a driveblock slidable in said channel and connected to said rack, and means formoving said drive block along said channel, said means for moving saiddrive block comprising a threaded bore in said drive block,

and a sprocket mounted on the shaft, said sprocket being adapted to berotated by a chain.

5. A blind as defined in claim 4 wherein said channel is provided withat least one internal longitudinal rib therein, said drive block havinga groove therein slidably embracing said rib whereby said rib slidablyguides said block for longitudinal movement in said channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,262 1/11 Heim292-240 X 1,401,905 12/21 Hanson 189-62 X 1,810,856 6/31 Schnell 292-240X 2,055,816 9/36 Dodge 160-176 2,247,260 6/41 Stone 160-84 2,607,5858/52 Hashimoto 20-62 X 2,717,034 9/55 Sharpe.

2,809,693 10/57 Sharpe.

2,818,195 12/57 Scarlett 292-24-0 X 2,954,590 10/ 60 Dynner 20-622,955,815 10/60 Muhr 20-62 3,012,294 12/61 -Waldor 20-62 BROUGHTON G.DURHAM, Primary Examiner. D NORTON ANSHER, Examiner.

1. IN A BLIND OF THE TYPE HAVING A SERIES OF ROTATABLE VERTICALLYEXTENDING LOUVERS THE COMBINATION OF AN OPEN CHANNEL HAVING A SERIES OFHOLES THROUGH THE END WALL THEREOF AND OPPOSED RIBE SPACED FROM SAID ENDWALL, AN L-SHAPED RACK HAVING ONE LEG EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SLIDABLYGUIDED BY A RIB AND THE END WALL OF SAID CHANNEL AND A SECOND TOOTHBEARING LEG, A GEAR ELEMENT HAVING TEETH THEREON MESHING WITH SAID RACK,A PROTUBERANCE ON SAID GEAR ELEMENT PROJECTING THROUGH ONE OF SAIDHOLES, SAID GEAR ELEMENT HAVING A BASE WITH FLATTENED PORTIONSPERMITTING SAME TO PAS BETWEEN SAID RIBS IN ONE POSITION OF ROTATIONTHEREOF AND WHICH BASE ENGAGES UNDER SAID RIBS IN A DIFFERENT POSITIONOF ROTATION THEREOF TO RETAIN SAID GEAR ELEMENT IN SAID CHANNEL.